The Winter Garden
by PretzelDemigod82
Summary: A different ending to Animal Dance where Natasha's theatre prevails and the Golden Key Theatre falls.


"So what do you say? Are you in?" Natasha grins, looking down upon her stricken audience. She knew without a doubt these lowly performers would submit to her. She knows that those more loyal to the pathetic Golden Key Theatre will soon come to the bright, shining doors of her newly opened, and no doubt successful theatre, begging her to let them in. She had known how easy it would be to twist the hearts of the newcomers and that girl- what was her name? Sophia.

Natasha almost laughed when she imagined Sohpia's parents' faces when they would hear of the news. Their sweet, precious little daughter, with the voice of an angel, though with humor down the gutter, betraying them! How absolutely splendid, how adorable, how-

"Betray the Keys?" The old woman, whom everyone calls Esther, asked. "I've been with them all my life. They are the reason I am where I am today! You cannot seriously expect me to turn my back against them while they have supported me all of these years!" She takes several steps towards Natasha, clutching tightly to the little girl hanging onto her elbows. Her eyes shoot daggers at the tall woman, but Natasha merely dodges them.

"Perhaps they have helped _you_ throughout your long years, but if you haven't noticed, you're at least five decades older than all of these fresh-faced lambs before me. They were at their prime when you were performing for their innumerable audience members. But they may as well be nobodies now. Left in the dirt after the stampede ran through them, as a new and improved venue took their attention."

Esther spits at the table Natasha is standing on and turns to face all the other wide-eyed audience members. She hollers at them, "Don't listen to this woman! The future she offers will not be a good one, I promise you! Let us all turn back to the Golden Key Theatre, and forget this nonsense. Sophia," she turns to face the girl standing next to Natasha, "I know you feel wronged, but please come back with us. You know we all love you."

Sophia sucks in a breath of air and stares blankly at Esther for a few moments. Darius comes to Sophia's side and puts his hand on her shoulder, whispering something into her ear. She closes her eyes and nods at his words. She slowly opens her eyes, lays them on Esther, and says in a hollow voice, "I'm sorry, Esther. I have to do this."

Esther's eyes widened and she allowed herself to have a moment of shock, obviously not expecting this outcome. _How funny._ She shakes her head at Sophia, glares once more at Natasha, and stalks off into the night with that urchin glued to her side.

"Now that she's out of the way, are any of the rest of you coming?" Natasha asks them, looking at each of the audience members in turn. They all whisper among themselves for a few seconds before the strong men stand up and start walking behind Natasha. She lays her hand on their shoulders as they pass, silently congratulating them on their move. Not long after that, the comedic and magic duos, mimes, bearded ladies, and most of the other small acts claim a spot behind her. Natasha frowns when she sees the dancers standing defiantly across from her. They would have been a good addition. Oh well, she can always teach Darius to tap dance. She looks at the few remaining people and asks, "Anyone else?"

The magic girl shakes her head and says, "Nah, I kinda like this place!" Natasha can always teach Darius to do magic.

The wanna-be comedic girl also refuses a spot in the new act. Natasha can always teach Darius a few jokes.

"Very well. You can come to my door when the Golden Key Theatre is torn down. But I can't promise you a spot." Natasha smiles once more and steps down from the table, beckoning her new performers to follow her. She can hear some of the new arrivals behind her shuffling their feet as they walk past their stubborn friends who are staying at the drab theatre. But soon, Natasha know, they will have a hop in their step that cannot be stopped.

Soon the alleyway my speech was held in is out of sight and Natasha sighs in relief. The trash cans in there had smelled horrible, and the stink of the loyalists didn't help. She slips back in the crowd following her and mingles with her new acquaintances. She smiles and laughs with them as they make their way to her theatre, already imagining the lavish lifestyle she will soon be able to partake in.

* * *

><p>Lawrence walks onto the stage of his theatre, smiling as he breathes in the familiar, musky air it provides. He closes his eyes and opens his arms wide as he imagines the countless audience members applauding him in a few nights for the Grand-Reopening, the bouquets of flowers landing at his feet, the hugs of his family as they come onstage to embrace him on his success, the crying of a woman, the- Lawrence's eyes dart open at the unfamiliar sound echoing off the walls. He scans to the tables until he sees a quavering figure with blonde, disheveled hair cascading down her back, a few strands still stuck in a poorly kept bun atop her head.<p>

He immediately runs to her side and kneels to the right of her. He hovers there for a moment before placing his hand on her shoulder, whispering in her ear, "What's wrong, love?" Annabelle's cries grow in volume and intensity and her hands tighten around something so much that her knuckles start turning white. Lawrence is taken aback. The last time his wife cried like this was six years ago when her mother died. He decides to stay by her side and let her cry it out. He rests his chin on her shoulder as he surrounds her in an embrace, and she responds by placing her forehead on his arm. They stay like this for what seems like hours, until Annabelle is reduced to sniffles. She gently pushes his arm away from her face as she blows her nose into a tissue. Once her fit is more or less under control, she looks up and Lawrence with her tear-stained face and says, "She's gone."

"Who?" He asks almost instantly. As much as he loves his wife, he doesn't care for mysteries and prolonged secrets. He immediately wants to take back his abrupt response when he sees Annabelle's features start getting strained from holding a surge of emotion back. Just as he is about to apologize, she shoves a crumbled piece of paper into his hand and looks down at her feet. He scrunches his eyebrows together in confusion before carefully opening the paper and reading the words scribbled onto it.

The world is a standstill. This cannot be true. She can't be gone, she couldn't have left. She couldn't. But then why did this paper say she was? No, it can't be true, it can't be true, _it can't be true._ And then Annabelle is the one comforting Lawrence as he falls down to his knees and lets his tears flow.

They both comfort each other, not bothering to say anything to each other. Nothing could fix the wound that has just been created. Nothing could fill the void that filled their worlds.

So there they stayed.

* * *

><p>Lawrence finished reading the letter to everyone gathered before him. To his family, to his friends, to his employees. Everyone was quiet.<p>

"What is this?" Bernard exclaims, standing up much too quickly for his age but evidently not caring. "This must be a joke, Lawrence. I have helped you take care of Sophia all of her life, and I know that she would not betray her family over the fragile promise of a strange woman!" He slams his hands on the table and hurries towards his son. "Tell me it isn't true, son. Tell me it isn't true." Lawrence says nothing.

The room is quiet for a long time. Everyone is trapped in their own thoughts, until the Lieutenant's voice fills the room. "She will come back when she sees how well we do on our re-opening, I'm sure. She will come to her senses and-"

"That will not be happening," Esther responds, grimly looking at her fork. She looks up to the Lieutenant and says, "Almost all of our performers left with her. All that is left of us is Jane, Louise, the dancers, and me. That might be fine for a family talent show, but not for a professional theatre."

**BAM!** Bernard manages to slam his hands on another table. "I cannot believe this! This cannot be real! Are you saying that all of our work has gone to waste, Esther? All of _my _hard work of creating and maintaining this theatre? Damn it, Lawrence!" He hobbles towards his son again and stands right in front of him, glaring down at him. "I cannot believe I left this theatre in your care! Not only are you unable to keep a business in check, you can't keep your daughter in check!"

"Dad, I-"

"No! I will not listen to you anymore. I do not want to hear any more of your unworthy apologies. This theatre is done for!" He pauses and looks into space for a moment before uttering quietly, "After all of this time, to think I believed in you." Bernard looks at his son's face for a moment before he walks past him, onto the stage and into his office. His door slams shut and the sound it creates echoes throughout the tense room, magnifying the audience's silence.

Louise is the first to stand up. She looks at everyone's face and says brightly, "I still have faith that we can bring great things to this theatre. We may have lost some important people, but even in my short time here I have come to realize that the Keys are not people who give up! We _will _be successful in our reopening and Natasha's wannabe theatre will fall to the ground!" She gleams happily at everyone, but her look of optimism wavers when no one responds. She closes her eyes, takes in a deep breath, and reopens her eyes as she exhales loudly. Smiling again, she glides out of the room, patting peoples' shoulders as she passes them.

The dancers are the next to leave, then Jane and Elaine, and soon the room is occupied by only Lawrence, Annabelle, and Esther. Esther walks up to Lawrence and says in a low voice, "I'll try to get your father to come to his senses." She gives him a small smile before entering Bernard's office. Lawrence thinks he hears sobs in the brief moment the office door is open, but the thought is soon dissipated when his wife stands next to him. Annabelle squeezes his hands and looks at him with watery eyes before planting a brief kiss on his lips. They embrace in the empty room and rock side to side, hoping for the best but knowing it won't happen.

* * *

><p>The performers are all ecstatic after the first performance. The audience was completely absorbed in what they were watching, amazed at all of the acts they viewed. The show had started off with Natasha introducing herself and welcoming the crowd. Then Sophia sang an upbeat song while dancing with Darius, which was followed by the various performers doing their acts, and the show was ultimately ended with all the performers dancing to Sophia's song and bowing.<p>

Natasha strolls into the backstage room where all the actors are gathered and is about to make a speech on how proud she is, but is interrupted by everyone rushing up to her and squeezing her into a giant group hug. She is taken aback at the foreign feeling, but soon relaxes and smiles.

* * *

><p>"Everyone, I have good news!" Natasha declares to the performers after their third successful night. They all look at Natasha eagerly, adrenaline still pumping through their veins from being on stage. Natasha reveals the newspaper she had behind her back and says proudly, "The Golden Key Theatre has fallen! Their Grand Reopening was an utter disaster! They sold their theatre, and guess who owns it now?" She beams happily. "Us! The theatre belongs to us! We will renovate it and bring it to its much needed glory. Add a bar in the back, put in new seats, change the curtains, and make even a bigger name for ourselves. Get all of your things together, we are moving there tomorrow!"<p>

Natasha makes eye contact with Darius, who is clutching a shaking Sophia. Natasha smirks and leaves the room in a grandiose manner. Everyone immediately starts chattering about the news and slowly trickle into the dressing rooms to get their costumes off. Sophia and Darius are left in the barren room, holding each other. The dressing room doors shut loudly, and at that sound, Sophia leans onto Darius and sobs uncontrollably. Darius strokes her hair, unsure how to feel.

* * *

><p>The show ends on a high note once again. It is the tenth anniversary of the actual reopening of the theatre, now called the Winter Garden. The theatre is home to over 100 performers, with famous guest stars popping in from time to time. Its main feature is Sophia, the world famous singer, and her husband Darius, the multi-talented theatre man.<p>

After the show, Sophia, Darius, and a few other new additions sit on the stage and answer questions from the audience. Sophia is laughing and having a good time, until a familiar man walks into the light to ask a question. She feels as if she just got punched in the gut as she stares at the man; her father. He can't be more than fifty, but his hair is graying rapidly and he has various age lines on his face. He looks at Sophia, raises the mic to his mouth and asks, "How does it feel to be so successful after coming from a poor family with seemingly no future?"

The audience waits expectantly, but Sophia doesn't answer. She just stares at the solemn questioner, eyes wide and mouth agape. She excuses herself from the stage and hurries backstage. She stares at herself in her personalized stage mirror for a few seconds before screeching and hurling her hairbrush at the image of herself. The glass shatters and Sophia feels it cut her face and arms, but she ignores the pain and wails loudly for a few minutes. Eventually she feels someone tap her shoulder, and she looks at the person, not caring about her crazed appearance. Natasha.

Natasha sighs and traces Sophia's face with her long fingers before resting them under her chin, forcing Sophia to look up at her. Natasha raises her eyebrows and says in a low voice, "Come with me, girlie. We have a show to prepare for." Sophia nods instinctively and follows Natasha to the dressing room. She looks behind her and sees a photo of her and her family lying on the ground, surrounded by the glass of her mirror, before Natasha slams the door.


End file.
